Ravens' Cary Williams defends shove, calls 49ers dirty

Feb. 4, 2013
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Head linesman Steve Stelljes holds back Baltimore Ravens cornerback Cary Williams during a scuffle against the San Francisco 49ers during the second quarter in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. / Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports

"It was a situation where I didn't see who the heck I pushed. Those guys kicked my helmet off, took my helmet off man, it's just a part of the process. Whatever," Williams said. "It's a reaction. You see teammates out there getting hit late, guys pulling guys after the whistle. My helmet came off, I couldn't barely see, and I just reacted. It is what it is."

Williams said the scrum, which resulted in offsetting personal foul penalties on Baltimore corner Corey Graham and San Francisco tackle Joe Staley, was the culmination of more than a quarter's worth of chippy play.

"The offensive line trying to be tough. Be tough between the whistles man. Don't pull that crap after the damn whistle, man. I mean, I just felt like those guys were a little dirty. The refs should have thrown flags on them early on them in the game to stop that junk," Williams said. "Sometimes you've got to retaliate, sometimes you have to show people we aren't going to be pushed around. We do this. That's been part of the Ravens defense for years, to show toughness, but we do it between the whistles."